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"Survey return from A. Farquharson"
Tiree, by Tobermory.
1850.
RCP/COL/4/8/50
A. Farquharson was a church minister to Tiree (Tyree) parish.
Tiree (also known as Tyree) was an island parish in the Inner Hebrides. The main industry was the breeding of black cattle and products were exported. In 1831, the population was 4453.
[[Addressee]]
The Revd
A. Farquharson
Tiree
by Tobermory
[[Survey]]
QUERIES
1. How many Medical Men practice within the Parish of Tiree and Coll?
2. Both resident in Tiree.
2. The Names and Addresses of these.
Dr Donald McLean. Dr John Gilchrist
3. Has the number increased or diminished of late years?
Untill1 within the last five or six years, there had been no medical man for some time. 3 left the Parish, two of whom went abroad, the one 17 years ago, and the other 12 years ago. The third left it for a more luecrative2 situation, 3 years ago
4. Have any left the Parish since you became connected with it? If so, for what reasons?
The answer included in Query 3
5. Is there any complaint among the people of inadequacy in the supply of Medical aid?
Two well qualified Practitioners might be an adequate supply for the Parish
6. Do you know of any cases of protracted suffering, or of injury by Accident, such as might have been alleviated had proper advice been at hand?
Not aware of any for some time back
7. To what extent is the deficiency of qualified Practitioners made up by the efforts of other parties?
Not to any extent worth mentioning, excepting in case of Midwifery, there are several women whom they often call in preference to the Medical men, partly no doubt from their poverty.
8. Does your experience enable you to suggest any measure – of general applicability – such as would be likely to relieve to some extent the evils (if they exist) of deficiency in the supply of Medical aid?
Although two medical men might be quite enough to supply the wants of the entire Parish, which includes the Island of Coll; yet most of the poorer classes although not Paupers, (and they form a very large proportion of the population of this Parish) often suffer much for want of medical aid from inability to call one when required: so that were3 assistance provided for medical aid in these cases, I have no doubt it might alleviate the want so much felt by the classes alluded to.
9. What Heritors4 are resident, either generally or occasionally, in your Parish?
No resident Proprietors either in this Island or in Coll. They are represented by Factors who visit the Islands occasionally, but have their residences in the Island of Mull.
Explanatory notes:
1. Misspelling of “until”.
2. Misspelling of “lucrative”.
3. The answer to query 8 continues into the box for query 9. A line has been drawn to separate the answers.
4. A heritor was a landowner, under Scots Law, whose holdings were sizeable enough for them to be liable for the payment of public burdens such as Poor Law rates, road and bridge assessments and the church minister’s stipend.
Remote & Rural Remedies
